I never got to join in when everyone else was recording a new album. When they came back from the studio and told stories about how the recording sessions were going, and who they met, I felt sad that I was missing out.
But when we’re making a DVD, I can join in. When I danced in “Kodo,” filmed on Sado Island; “Live at the Acropolis,” filmed in Greece; and in “Sado E” filmed in Tokyo with Tamasaburo Bando; I was so happy because I finally felt like a member of Kodo.
If I had to pick just one Kodo album, I would pick “Mondo Head”!

Firstly, because you can dance to it!!! I love how Mickey Hart’s arrangements mix Kodo’s sound with music from around the world. It’s like fusion cooking, but he’s making borderless dishes that use our sound as a sauce. Swirling, undulating, spiralling rhythms combine with Kodo’s tight beats and it’s wasabi-cool! Mickey works like a skilled chef to combine Japanese flavours into new, delicious dishes.
I love every song on this album, but if I have to select one, I’ll go with the first song, Berimbau Jam. It’s like all the spices from around the world bursting in your mouth! If you’re going to dance at home, this is the perfect track.

I also recommend “Sen no Mai,” even though it wasn’t released under the Kodo label. Kodo performed this full production as a one night-only special event. It was the first time Kodo has ever done that. I think this DVD shows a new direction for Kodo. Music reverberates through the air, dance turns to light, and they both fade into the universe. But we captured those reverberations and light in this DVD.
This is the DVD I always dreamed of making.

Album | Mondo Head

↓Listen to sample tracks (Japanese webpage)
https://www.kodo.or.jp/discography/sicp1_ja.html

↓Buy at Kodo Online Store
http://kodo.shop.multilingualcart.com/goods_en_jpy_86.html

DVD | Sen no Mai

↓Trailer + Info
https://www.kodo.or.jp/discography/od022_en.html

↓Buy at Kodo Online Store
https://kodo.shop.multilingualcart.com/goods_en_JPY_135.html